Tabulating card reader output hopper structure



@Mh i4, l967 w. T. VAN BUsKlRK 3,309,081

TABULATING GARD READER OUTPUT HOPPER STRUCTURE Filed Feb. ll, 1965 3 Shees--Sheerl l FIG.I

INVENTOR.

WARREN T VAN BUSKTRK ATTORNEY 14, i967 w.1.vAN BusKlRK 3,309,081

TABULATING CARD READER OUTPUT HOPPER STRUCTURE Filed Feb. l1, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 arch 34 w67 w. T. VAN BusKlRK TABULATING CARD READER OUTPUT HOPPER STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 11, 1965 5 Sheetsfheet 5 United States Patent O 3,309,081 TABULATIN G CARD READER OUTPUT HOPPER STRUCTURE Warren T. Van Buskrk, Rochester, N.Y., assigner to Friden, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 431,905 9 Claims. (Cl. 271-86) The present invention relates to tabulating card readers, The invention more particularly relates to tabulating card readers which feed successive cards from an input card hopper, transport the cards edgewise through a reading zone to an output hopper, -and at the reading zone sense columns of coded 4apertures representative of coded information items and convert the sensed apertures to corresponding coded electrical signals representative of the information items.

A tabulating card reader with which the output hopper structure of the present invention is useful is shown in the copending applications Ser. No. 431,904, entitled, Tabulating Card Reader, Program Control Structure, by Edwin O. Blodgett, Ser. No. 431,859, entitled, Tabulating Card Reader, Input Hopper Feed Structure, Iby Wilbur C. Ahrns, and Ser. No. 431,854, entitled, Tabulating Card Reader, Card Drive Structure, by Edwin O. Blodgett, all filed on the same date as the present invention, Feb. 1l, 1965, and all assigned to a common assignee with the present invention.

The tabulating card reader of the aforesaid copending applications is an improvement of the tabulating card reader disclosed in the copending application Ser. No. 249,228, of E. O. Blodgett, tiled Jan. 3, 1963 and in the copending application Ser. No. 249,202, of Wilbur C. Ahrns, also filed on Jan. 3, 1963, both applications being assigned to the same assignee `as the present application.

The pack of cards placed into the tabulating c-ard reader input hopper, for reading by the aforesaid tabulating card reader of the Feb. l1, 1965, copending applications, is read, one card at a time, in a predetermined order off one face of the deck. It would be very desirable in 'a highly automated tabulating card reader such as that under discussion, to provide means for selectively ordering the deck of cards as collected by the output hopper in either the original input hopper order, or in reverse order. Such selectivity would obviate manual reordering, when reordering is desired, and additionally would save time. The operator could then retrieve the deck yof cards from the output hopper in either the original or a reversed order, for storage, further processing, or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide -a new and improved tabulating card reader, and one possessing the desirable operational characteristics enumerated above.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel tabulating card reader adapted to read cards selected from a deck vor stack thereof, one at a time in predetermined order, and to reassemble the cards at an output hopper, one at a time, in either the original stacked order or in reversed stacked order, depending upon a predetermined setting of the apparatus of the invention.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide an improved tabulating card reader having utility in numerous and diverse applications as a source of data information rapidly and accurately presented in a Wide variety of forms suitable for computation and documentation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the detailed description thereof proceeds in the light of the drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tabulating card reader embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational intenor View of the tabulating card reader shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tabulating card reader according to the invention showing the relationship of the various components associated with the input and output storage `of the cards and the advancing of the cards therebetween. l

Referring now to FIGURE l, there is illustrated Ia tabulating card reader embodying the present invention in a particular form. The reader conveniently includes -an outer console envelope 30 having a front panel 31 with an input tabulating card hopper 32 at the upper portion thereof and an output card hopper 33 at a lower portion thereof, all as shown in FIGURE l, and supporting a series of control electrical switches 31a useful in manually controlling the reader `operation and the selection of various available card read programs.

Referring now additionally to FIGURE 3, the input hopper 32 is constructed to accommodate `a pack `of individual cards 81 between a back plate 230 and 'a pressure plate 231. The single example card Sla is drawn from the face of deck 81 Iadjacent to back-plate 230, and then travels from input hopper 32 downwardly to the home position between card driving discs 63 and spaced discs 84 and thence through the reading position and along the path indicated at 232 to the output hopper 33. Any card yof deck 81 is design-ated herein as 81a when it occupies the position illustrated in the figures with that designation.

As is best shown in full outline in FIGURE 3, output hopper 33 includes a bin enclosure 337 for receiving and stacking cards 81, one at a time. The function of bin 337 is to selectively stack cards 81 either in the original order of input hopper 32, or in reverse order, depending upon the orientation of bin 337, as hereinafter explained.

Bin enclosure 337 is generally V-shaped as between the front bin panel 349:1 and the rear bin panel 349b. That is to say, panels 34961 and. 349!) mutually define an acute angle. The approach of panels 349a and 349b is truncated by skewed panel 349e, which forms an obtuse `angle with panel 349a and an acute angle with panel 349b. At the uppermost portion of the rear bin panel 349b is a portion 347 slanted `away from the enclosure of the bin, i.e. away from the space between panel 349:1 and panel 349b.

The bin enclosure 337 is pivoted at bracket 338 by pivot pin 339 to bracket 340 which is screwed to rail 341 extending between -side plates 53 and a second side plate, not shown, parallel to and spaced from plate 53. The bin 337 is thus pivotable between a first or in position shown in full outline in FIGURE 3, and a second or out position shown in phantom outline. The first or in position automatically causes stacking of the cards in the original order, whil-e the second or out position automatically causes stacking of the cards in the reverse order. A bracket 342 on bin 337 cooperates with a bracket 343 on rail 341 to capture a horseshoe-shaped oif-center spring 344, so that bin 337 is stable in only the two positions shown, any position Gif-center tending to the nearest -of those two positions under the urging of the off-center spring 344. A stop cushion 345 is secured to the reader frame by nut 346, so kas to quiet pivoting toward the phantom outline position.

The bin panel 349a and the bin panel 349i: are arranged relative to the pivoting mechanism just described, so that when bin 337 is in the first or in position shown in full outline, panel 349a is approximately vertical while panel 349b is slanted backward (relative to the front of the reader). When the bin 337 is pivoted to the second or out position shown in phantom outline, panel 349a is slanted forward and panel 349b is approximately vertical (preferably very slightly slanted forward, as shown).

The line of arrowheads 232 in FGURE 3 indicates the free path of a card 81a. The length of each card 81a is such that rollers 63, S4, drive it positively a major portion of the Way along the line 232, and only a minor portion of the way does the card free fall, afterv it has left the nip of rollers `63, 84. The line 232 also represents the path of the rst few cards 81a driven into bin 337 `when the bin is in the iirst or full -outline position.- It will readily be appreciated that the first card so driven will lie back against slanted rear panel 34917. Succeedingcards will lie, in order of arrival, atop lthis first card, so that the stack will be built upon rear panel 349b, in the original ouder of input hopper 32. As the stack grows in size, the incoming cards will' be deilected by the stack, toward the bottomthereof, and the actual path will be deflected counter-clockwise slightly, at its lower portion, from the path 232 shown in FIGURE 3. The fact that rear panel 349b and the bottom panel 349C make an acute angle, helps the bottom -of the first card to run flush against rear panel 349i, but more importantly, it helps the bottom of the later cards, the latest of which may have been deflected somewhat by the pack as aforesaid, to run flush againstthe deck. This helps to create a tighter deck, and consequently obviates possibilities of shuffling of the cards by accident.

When the bin is placed in the second or out position shown in phantom outline, thecards are deflected from their free path. The pivoting mechanism of the f bin is such that in this position the panel portion 347 is interposed into the free path 232 of cards 81a.` Consequently each card 81a, `still held by the nip of rollers 63, 84,'is bent past portion 347 into the path shown at 232:1. The early cards 81a arriving atbin 337 are curved along path 232g past panel portion 347 and then straight down into bin 337 where they lay, one atop another, on front panel 349'a which is slanted forward. This causes a reverse ordered stacking of cards 81a. In other words, the early cards are deflected by panel portion 347,'but after passing that portion they travel straight within the bin 337. A break line 232C is shown in arrow line 23M, and after that point the `arrows are curved toward back panel 34911 as at 232b. The change from a mode wherein path 232:1 `is carriedstraight to the bottom of bin 337, to a mode wherein path 232g is carried up to the break line then curved into a path 2321:, occurs after a stack of cards 81 (shown in phantom'outline) hasbuilt up on front panel 349athat when thev stack 81 .in the output hopper has grown thick, additional cards can be accepted, automatically to obviate any crowded tendency to p or Hutter in the bin `337 and create stacking diiculties. Specifically, after a stack 81 has built up, each card is curved at 232b because ofthe stack 81 in its way, and when the upper end of that card is released at the nip of rollers 63, 84, the top of the card snaps over against the stack 81, i.e. the top of the card follows the `bottom thereof down along the stack 81. Thus, the arrangement is such that even with'a large stack, the later cards are automatically assured of being correctly stacked.

In general, the V-shaped. bin '337 allows stacking of the cards at output hopper 33 in the original or lthe reverse positions, depending upon the orientation of bin 337. The truncated bottom 349C and the deecting portion 347 serve to orient the incoming cardsso that tight, correctly sequenced, stacks of cards are assembled without diculties.

The operation of the tabulating card reader will, now be considered with reference to the various components already described. The operator will place a deck of cards 81 into the input hopper 32 and will tilt bin'337 of output hopper 33 to the position shown in full outline in/FIGURE 3, assuming he wants the output hopper 33 cards stacked in the order they occupied in input hopper 32. When the operator desires the output hopper It is thus a feature of the device,

33 cards stacked in the reversed order, he will tilt bin 337 to the position shown in phantom outline in FIG- URE 3.

The card 81a is positively pressured by pressure plate 231 while being positively driven by picker 233, butis not entirely Iremovedl from input hopper 32 prior to pick-up at driving discs 63. Rather, the ycard remains under the coordinated control of boththe input hopper 32 partsy .and the driving discs 63 during reading. Thus, when the discs `63 'intercept and begin to drive the lcard 81a, the pressure plate 231 is Ialready in its pressure releasing phase and the card may be drawn further downward without slippage. However, during this takeover by discs 63 the upper p-ortion of the `card nevertheless remains slida'bly secured by back-plate 230,' and other, partsr described in detail in the aforesaid copending applications of Feb. 11, 1965. This careful phasing of control of the progress of card 81 from the poweredparts of hopper 32 (picker 233, pressure plate 231) to a combination of theL powered parts at the reading station (discs 63) in conjunction with the passive parts at the hopper 32 (plate 230, plate 320, spring 319)v assures that the prog-ress of the card willbe sure and synchronized and without jamming and the like. It is `essential that the card 81a be pressured by plate 231 during at least a major portion of the distance it is driven by, picker 233, and it is preferable that it be pressured until the aforesaid pickup thereof byl discs 63.

The standard tabulating card records a maximum of S0 alpha-numeric characters, symbols, or vfunctional control items of information by Yusefof index-point columns of the card. After reading the last index-point column ,of the card, the tabulating card 81a will have already been driven partway intoooutput hopper 33 by rollers 63,84 during the preceding reading process and thereupon other partscooperate to release the tabulating card 81a from the nip of rollers 63, 84, described in detail in the vicopending applications of Feb. ll, 1965, and the card 81 then drops under gravity the rest of the way along one of the paths already described, depending upon the position of bin 337, las `illustrated in FIGURE 3.

While la specific form of the invention has been kdescribed for purposes of illustration, it is contemplated that numerous changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A hopper for receiving tabulati-ng cards fed vsuc-v cessively from above and stacking the said Vcards selectively into either -of two orders, each of said orders being the reverse of the other, comprising -an upwardly open bin having a rst panel and a .second panel arranged into` la general V'shape; means for maintaining saidbin in either of two positions, a first said position .being defined by said rst -panel being approximately vertical and said second panel being slanted, and a second said position being defined by said secondfpanel being approximately vertical and said front panel being slanted, saidf cards being normally directed edgewise in a downward direction which, when said bin is in said first position, is toward said second panel; and means adjacent the top ,portion lof said bin adapted to intercept and deilect said cards toward said front panel when said bin is in said secondr position.

2. A hopper according to claim 1 wherein said bin is truncated at its bottom portion.

3. A hopper ,according to claim 1 wherein said bin is truncated at `the ybottom portionthereof by a bottom panel forming an obtuse angle Lwith said/first panel and an acute angle with said second panel.

4. A hopper for receiving tabulating cards fed successively from above and stacking the said cards selectively into either of two orders, yeach of said orders being the reverse of the other, comprising an upwardly open bin having 'a front panel and a rear panel. arranged into a Vgeneral V-shape, the upper portion of said rear panel ineluding a deiiection member; and means for maintaining said bin in either of two positions, a rst said position being defined by said front panel being approximately vertical and said rear panel being slanted rearward, said cards being normally directed edgewise in a downward direction which, when said bin is in said rst position, is toward said rear panel for stacking thereagainst in a first of said two orders, and a second said position being defined by said rear panel being lapproximately vertical and said front panel being slanted forwardly, so that said deflection member is interposed into the downward path of said cards so as to deect them forwardly toward said front panel for stacking thereagainst in a second of said two orders. Y

5. A hopper according to claim 4 wherein said deflection member comprises a portion of said rear panel slanted relative thereto.

6. A hopper according to claim 4 wherein said bin is pivoted fOr movement between said two positions, and

spring loaded so as to be stable only at said two positions. 20

7. A hopper according to claim 4 wherein said bin is truncated at its bottom portion.

8. A hopper according to claim 4 wherein said bin is truncated at the bottom porti-on thereof by a botto-m panel forming an obtuse angle with said front panel and an acute angle with said rear panel.

9. A hopper `according to claim 4 wherein when said cards are directed at said front or rear panels, the direction of approach thereto describes an acute angle with the panel.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 696,069 8/1953 Great Britain.

M. HENSN WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

R. A. SCHACHER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HOPPER FOR RECEIVING TABULATING CARDS FED SUCCESSIVELY FROM ABOVE AND STACKING THE SAID CARDS SELECTIVELY INTO EITHER OF TWO ORDERS, EACH OF SAID ORDERS BEING THE REVERSE OF THE OTHER, COMPRISING AN UPWARDLY OPEN BIN HAVING A FIRST PANEL AND A SECOND PANEL ARRANGED INTO A GENERAL V-SHAPE; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID BIN IN EITHER OF TWO POSITIONS, A FIRST SAID POSITION BEING DEFINED BY SAID FIRST PANEL BEING APPROXIMATELY VERTICAL AND SAID SECOND PANEL BEING SLANTED, AND A SECOND SAID POSITION BEING DEFINED BY SAID SECOND PANEL BEING APPROXIMATELY VERTICAL AND SAID FRONT PANEL BEING SLANTED, SAID CARDS BEING NORMALLY DIRECTED EDGEWISE IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION WHICH, WHEN SAID BIN IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION, IS TOWARD SAID SECOND PANEL; AND MEANS ADJACENT THE TOP PORTION OF SAID BIN ADAPTED TO INTERCEPT AND DEFLECT SAID CARDS 